INTERVIEW: He'll enjoy his football

United manager Greg Abbott spoke today about his delight at capturing the signature of popular striker Lee Miller on a further minimum one-year contract after a summer of prolonged negotiations.

“We're obviously really pleased,” he said. “We've worked long and hard and it's nice that two of them have finally happened. The squad looks a little bit better now and we can move forward from here with optimism.”

“I've been in touch with Lee [Miller] throughout the summer and there's a lot of respect between us,” he explained.

“We've given him the time to try and find a situation that works for him and he's made his decision. I think we've gone about it in the right way as a club and we're all glad that he's decided to stay with us.”

“I've spoken to Lee and his agent a lot over the summer,” he added. “His agent has been brilliant with me, he's kept me in the loop with the different offers on the table and he kept telling me we had a great chance of keeping Lee.

“He gives us more than his goals with the way he plays and the way he conducts himself and we're pleased that we've got him.”

“It's probably not the best financial decision he's ever made but, in terms of football and what’s right for his family, it’s what he needs,” he continued.

“He's very well respected and liked by everybody at the club and he knows he'll play and enjoy his football here. That was probably one of the main factors in his decision.

“You can see in training that he's absolutely fantastic around the young players. He takes time to look after everybody and that kind of player and character is important. Along with that, he's scored goals on a regular basis and that’s why we've been patient with him while he's been making his decision.”

“We think it’s good news for Mark Beck as well,” he said. “He has somebody there to learn off and someone who can help to protect him.

“We saw last season that the young players benefit from a run of games and then a little bit of a break, so that takes the pressure off Mark a little bit.

“I think we've got a terrific mix of senior and younger players now and we really do have something to build on.”

United Player subscribers can see video interviews with Greg Abbott and Lee Miller on Friday and over the weekend. Click HERE to go to the Player platform. Follow the same link for more information on United Player, and to subscribe.